Do’s and Don’ts of Marketing Your Santa Cruz Home Online

You have a for sale sign in front of your Santa Cruz home. Even though the real estate market is slow, you still see other houses being bought. What’s the matter with yours? Why is your home still sitting on the market? Is it you? Is it your home? Is it your agent? It may just be your online marketing (or lack of it).

Do Upload PhotosThe internet is one of most popular places for homebuyers to do their initial shopping. If your Santa Cruz home isn’t online, it needs to be there. If it is online, it needs pictures. If it has pictures, pay attention to the following issues:

• Dark or grainy pictures• Images with closed windows, drapes and/or blinds• Photos of rooms with clutter• Only one photo, and it’s of the front of the house• Images that haven’t been adjusted to look their best online

Finally, ask yourself, if a picture says a thousand words, what are the photos of my home saying? If your pictures don’t look friendly and inviting, and if they don’t make your home look its very best, you might as well take your home off the market.

Do Add DataDon’t forget to add important information. Think about it. How many other homes are being sold online? What makes yours better/different? In other words, why should a buyer take the time to look at your house in person?

Buyers aren’t mind readers. They can’t look at a picture and see that your home has 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. You have to tell them that. If your house also has a large backyard, walking paths nearby or green home features, by all means, brag about it.

Don’t Restrict ShowingsPeople need to see your home in person before they’ll decide to buy it. Unfortunately, many sellers make the mistake of having restricted showing hours, needing appointments for a showing and not being available when they have a prospective buyer. Instead…

• Do use a lockbox, so you don’t have to be there for an agent to show the house.• Don’t set restricted hours. This makes showing the home at the buyer’s convenience difficult, and you definitely want it to be convenient for your potential buyer.

There are several areas where marketing can go bad and become a missed opportunity for selling your Santa Cruz home. However, if you make it convenient, show your home at its best and don’t overprice, you’re well on your way to changing “for sale” to “sold.”

About Lauren Spencer

Award-Winning Santa Cruz REALTOR®

Lauren Spencer is your local real estate expert, specializing in Santa Cruz real estate and surrounding communities—this is where she lives, works, and plays too. Let her know your questions about the community and county and she'll be happy to fill you in on all you want to know! Lauren Spencer has consistently been voted best local REALTOR in Santa Cruz and is always happy to offer her advice and expertise. Call her at: 800.226.4717.